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3 Staples men charged with drug crimes

WADENA -- Three people were charged with selling drugs in a school zone after drug agents tailed a confidential informant's alleged buy from the Staples men.

On Sept. 4, Central Minnesota Drug and Gang Task Force Special Agent Burns met with a confidential reliable informant, Derek Meide, to set up a buy of 1/4 pound of marijuana for $350.

According to court records, agents searched Meide before dropping him off in the parking lot of a grocery store, where he later got into a vehicle driven by Conan Johar Jensen, 19, of Staples. Jensen's car was also followed by a white Impala, and the two cars left the parking lot and were followed by agents. Agents observed the two cars go to a local college parking lot, the informant get out of Jensen's vehicle, get into the Impala briefly, and then get back into Jensen's car. The drug agent recognized the driver of the Impala as Donald Eugene Mudick Jr., 28, of Staples.

After Meide was dropped off by the vehicles, the marijuana was weighed and totalled 82.8 grams, court documents said. Meide told authorities the pot had come from a guy known as "Beaner," later identified as Michael Thomas Martin, 22, of Staples.

On Oct. 29, police conducted a warrant search of Martin's residence and allegedly found drug paraphernalia and marijuana, among other evidence, court records said.

The three defendants were each charged with two counts of fourth-degree sale of marijuana in a school/park/public housing zone.